Book Publishing Tips from The Book Shepherd™

Book Marketing and Publishing Tips for Authors–

eZine Issue #18 May 09, 2018
Publisher: Judith Briles

Practical Publishing Advice and Guidance for Authors

In This Issue

1. May 12th Workshop: in 4 days!

2. Do Popups and Pings Distract You?

3. Hot podcasts for the month coming …

4. Webinars slated for May and June …

5. Question of the Week …

6. Book Shepherd "Fun" of the Week …

This Week Under The Book Shepherd’s Roof:

Hello and Good Day to all of you. Cinco de Mayo beckoned to me. With 15 authors in my front room on Saturday, I added guacamole and taquitos to the potluck AM offering—tasty, along with all the ideas generated and shared. Next session is June 1—if you are in my neck of Colorado, join us. Info at Meetup.com/AuthorYOU.

Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged … only 5 Seats are left—will one of them be yours? The early bird pricing special ended on Monday with 7 weeks to go before my 3-day event begins. Looking forward to working with awesome authors from IL, MI, TX, AZ, OH, FL, NV and of course, CO.

Book Publishing isn’t for Sissies; either is Book Marketing. If you need one-on-one-time with me, I’m always open for a few minutes to give you some quick input. But, and it’s a BIG BUT, many call and expect far more than a few minutes. This is called a "consult" and I would be delighted to schedule time with you for "just you and your many questions" that need answers. You can book time with me it at: https://thebookshepherd.com/pick-judiths-brain

Author Friendly Friday this week … 9 Eastern time and again at 2 pm ET. It’s a full hour when you can ask questions—any question. Starting now, it’s for paid subscribers ONLY. Here’s the link to take advantage of it and subscribe: https://thebookshepherd.com/product/author-friendly-fridays-subscription

Sizzling Video Book Camp … Get ready to roll up your sleeves and walk away with a video to post on your website AND everywhere. Hold the afternoon of Saturday, May 12th. Details below.

And, what, there’s more. We have all new webinars set up through June. Details below.

AND … How’s your week going?

At the all-day AuthorYOU Book Camp in April, master of videos and TV commercials Susie Scott showed how to create sizzling videos–from the DIY versions to professionally created was HOT! So hot, that we are going to do an intense Mini-Book Camp version with Susie and Kelly Johnson at a special May Saturday afternoon event. Saturday is projected to be in the 50s (after a week of 70s and 80s) and thunderstorms—a perfect way to stay in and create something you need.

Get your "chores" done in the AM and join us for a sizzling afternoon on Saturday, May 12th. We are maxing this workshop, so signup early.

· Create a sizzle reel for your BOOK.

· Create a sizzle reel for YOU as an AUTHOR.

· Create a sizzle reel for you as a SPEAKER.

· Create a sizzle reel for pitching ANY PRODUCT you have.

Get ready for a fun, fun session that creates a huge takeaway that you will add to your website and use to market with at the end of the session. How HOT is that? Smok’n!

It’s Sizzle Time – You Are On the Air! Create Your Video Saturday Afternoon and START marketing with it!

They do me and I’ve started turning them off. As in STOP. For one thing, I refuse to subscribe to messenger on Facebook. From the ongoing, "I like your picture … can we talk?" to a variety of notifications that someone has posted a picture or item. Have you ever figured out how disruptive all social media’s "breaking news" is? How about huge. Turn it off.

· Family members can text you during non-work hours.

· Clients and business contacts can leave you alone during your non-work hours.

· You don’t have to answer the phone during non-working hours unless it’s
personal friends or family members

· Family members can only text you during non-working hours, unless it's an emergency.

· A major distractor can be your computer Home screen—Stop all banners and popups on your home screen from displaying notifications.

· Next stop is your mobile---put it down. Declare a no phone evening. Ditto for a weekend day. Tap on your Settings, then Notifications and check EVERYTHING on it. Start muting what is not essential.

Goodbye to all the buzzes, pings and vibrations that have become the norm for most of us.

The weather is nice. Get your favorite beverage, head to the deck, porch or just a comfortable chair in your home with your favorite beverage. Enjoy just being outside. Listen to music. Tune into a move. Pick up a book. Or, just close your eyes.

Last weekend, I stepped away from "my devices". I spend Saturday AM with authors. In the afternoon, I puttered in the garden and enjoyed a chat on the deck for two hours with a friend. I had dinner with other friends that evening. Sunday found me in the garden in the AM and in the afternoon, I jelled out with Baldacci’s latest thriller (thumbs up). The world did not stop. Yours won’t either.

Authors with platforms sell books. It's that simple, and yet, many authors are clueless what a platform is all about; how to build one; and how to sustain it.

Quality platforms take time and personal investment. For the newbie, it’s important to get your platform started now. For already published authors, this is the perfect time to assess what yours is; refine where necessary, or do a makeover.

Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3033015310093761026

Get ready to clarify why you are an author; why you sell books and align yourself with those that care about your work--those who are your buyers.
how to market and promote my work, build community engagement and develop a presence online. Over time, I came to the following conclusions:

-The way you promote, market and sell have changed. You no longer need to push a book. What you need to do "is attract."

-A writing ‘career’ requires both the creative and the business mind.

-Don’t hoard creativity; sharing increases both its flow and value.

-Don’t fight technology, it has teeth. Trying to avoid it only encourages it to bite!

Your guide is Kimberley Grabas who launched YourWriterPlatform.com in 2013, where she helps a growing international community of thousands of rising "authorpreneurs" build their platforms, engage their fans and sell more books.

This webinar will be recorded and all that are registered with get the replay within 18 hours. You will also be added to our preferred mailing list.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. AND YES, it will be recorded. Register and get the replay the following day.

IN JUNE...

JUNE 12, 2018 4 PT, 5 MT, 6 CT, 7 ET
Authordom and LinkedIn Are a Dynamic Duo - Essential Tips for Authors on How to Use LinkedIn for Positioning, Expertise, Marketing

Register here:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/215678392109249795

It's time to take the "mystery" out of LinkedIn!

For many authors, LinkedIn may be the ideal place to position you as an expert, resource, marketer.

· Have you created a "company page" on your LinkedIn profile? --Did you know that it’s a way to push out what you are doing and carries additional clout, especially for business and professional services related authors?

· Would you like to learn how you can narrow your ideal connecting and marketing targets?

Don’t miss this in-depth "how-to" and "what to do now" podcast featuring LinkedIn expert Mike O’Neil, CEO of Integrated Alliances. The session will be recorded a copy sent to all who are registered the next day.

Question: I’m getting ready to publish my book. Do I need an agent?

My answer: Maybe. If your goal is to get picked up by a traditional publisher, the answer is YES … yes, you need an agent. Agents have connections. They know which editors and publishers would be a fit for your book and who to go to for pitching. What you need is a solid book proposal and marketing plan in place. Even if a traditional publisher picks up your book—you are going to be the key marketer.

If your goal is to go the indie or self-publishing route, you don’t need an agent. What you need is a plan on the necessary steps needed to create a quality book first; learning about the business of publishing; figure out how you are going to market the book.

At the AuthorYOU Extravaganza event in August in Breckenridge CO, Jeff and Deborah Herman, NY agents will speak and take pitches from attendees. Be there:www.AuthorYouExtravaganza.org

About Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd ™

Book Publishing expert Judith Briles, aka The Book Shepherd has shepherded more than 1,000 authors and created 500 best-sellers and award-winning books. She knows publishing inside and out from both the traditional and independent sides. Judith is an advocate for authors within her blogs, podcasts and speaking engagements. What’s her pet peeve? Two words: publishing predators.

She hosts the podcast AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing that generates over 100,000 downloads a month. Her website is www.TheBookShepherd, email: JudithBriles.com and phone: 303-885-2207.

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